46 AIADMK MPs fast in Parliament complex demanding justice for Jayalalitha

At least forty six AIADMK Members of Parliament staged a sit-down protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Parliament complex on Thursday over a demand for justice for their chief and former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha, who is currently behind bars in Bengaluru in connection with an 18-year-old disproportionate assets case.

The MPs said there should be no conspiracy in granting her bail in the case.

On Wednesday, the Karnataka High Court said that it would hear the plea for bail only on October 7.

On the same day, 4500 supporters of Jayalalithaa formed a human chain in her support in Chennai.

They hoped she would come back to power.

"With a token of showing our solidarity and support, we have all gathered here to form a human chain. About 4,500 plus people are expected to participate in this human chain which is just about to happen in the next few minutes. We all want to tell these people that Amma will come back, Amma will come back very powerfully, will rise like the phoenix," said the secretary of the IT wing of the AIADMK, K Swaminathan.

"This judgment is nothing but political vendetta. The fine amount and the sentence is totally unjust. We are here to form a human chain and fight against this," said an AIADMK member, Prashant.

Jayalalithaa was legally obliged to step down as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, which she has governed since 2011 under her latest term.

Meanwhile, AIADMK leader and former chief minister O. Paneerselvam, took oath as the next chief minister of the state on Sunday.

Jayalalithaa was sentenced to four years in jail on Saturday in a high-profile corruption case that has lasted nearly two decades.

A special court in Bangalore found Jayalalithaa guilty of "disproportionately" amassing about Rs 60 crore outside her known sources of income, prosecution lawyers told reporters. She has been sentenced to four years' imprisonment.

Her supporters have been vociferously protesting against the verdict, with many even resorting to suicide.

The court has also fined the four-time chief minister Rs 100 crores, which will be taken from the properties that have already been seized by the court.